An Unusual Will
by lunachand
Summary: Tashigi encounters someone unexpected in the Loguetown Museum and winds up on an assignment she'd rather not have. The Straw Hats also have to deal with a threat from the navy that they might not be able to handle. Story takes place roughly a decade into the future. (ZoTash centric) (T-rating for slight language)
1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note** : 10/14/15- If anyone is interested in helping me by beta-ing this story, please let me know with a PM? If you have a story on this website or a sample of your writing, that'd be awesome :)

* * *

Before her stood a wall of blades encased in glass. She paced along the wall with a small smile, mentally recounting tales. She stopped in front of a scratched blade with a worn, brown hilt, and noticed the placard underneath. Pulling her red-rimmed glasses down from her head and in front of her eyes, Tashigi read part of it aloud:

"Donated fifteen years ago." She had asked the museum to keep her name from the records. It felt too much like bragging. Besides, it was rare for her to return to East Blue, so she appreciated that the museum staff let her patrol here from time to time to see these swords at her leisure. This was more than enough compensation. The date elicited a frown, however. Her fingers pressed against the glass barrier as she remembered.

 _She was walking home from her dojo, and a large figure shadowed her. She ducked into an alley, planning to face him with a wooden practice sword. Looking back, she thought herself to be a fairly reckless child._

" _What do you want?" She asked, but he didn't reply. He unsheathed the sword._

" _Where did you get that?" She didn't know the name of the sword, but the style of the hilt and temper of the blade told her it was legendary. She took a second look at her assailant. His hair was oily and matted, and his reeking clothes were stained and worn. He appeared to be destitute. That sword was_ _probably the only thing of value that he owned, she figured._

" _Shut up. Give me everything you have." He pointed the sword at her face. His stance was flawed._

 _She pulled out her wallet and grabbed the cash inside. 'There isn't much in here_ _anyway. I think he needs it more than I do.'_

" _Here." She put the money into his hand. After that, his face twisted into something uglier. He stepped closer._

" _Take off your shirt." He ordered. She shook her head. He had mistaken her generosity for fear._

 _A legendary sword should not be used in such a way._

This was the first one she had ever confiscated. She even handed it to the authorities herself. The drive to recover legendary swords from criminals was one that pushed her through the ranks of the navy. Each blade on this wall had a story behind it; not all were as easy to obtain. Tashigi had amassed a large collection for the Loguetown Museum, but even after a decade of naval service, she was unable to collect a few. Some of which had been right in front of her face in this very town.

" _Someone like you is not fit to wield the Wado Ichimonji! Hand it over!"_

" _Come and get it." He smirked._

Her face scrunched as though she had swallowed something sour. As she thought of Roronoa Zoro, she noticed a strange flicker in the lights. Whether it was a shadow or an issue with the circuitry, she could not tell.

Tashigi treaded gingerly down the halls. The glowing red exit sign and a few floor lights were her only aid. This system was intended to protect paintings and other valuables from constant exposure to light. This put her at a disadvantage though. Even with glasses, she was likely to bump into a wall.

She closed her eyes and let instinct act. It had been some time since she had last used Observation Haki. In East Blue waters, there were few criminals that warranted her full power. It seemed that the target was an exception, though. Placing a hand on the hilt of the _Shigure_ at her side, she squeezed her eyelids tighter, focusing on the quality of the intruder's aura. Perhaps there was something that could help her identify-

She groaned.

Releasing a breath, Tashigi walked towards the intruder. She did not try to muffle her footsteps because she was already sure he knew both where and who she was.

"The museum is closed. Please come back tomorrow during opening hours." She gripped the hilt as she spoke.

"Copycat woman? They demoted you to security guard?" A man with a green haramaki was leaning against a large column in the middle of the room, keeping to the shadows. She suspected that he was avoiding the security snail on the ceiling behind her. It was difficult to see him in the red glow of the room.

"If you do not leave now, I will have to use force." She warned. Zoro laughed.

"You really want to fight me?" He grinned and lifted the _Wado Ichimonji_. She winced again.

"I have nothing to lose. You won't cut me anyway."

His smirk faded and he sighed.

And disappeared.

She gasped, but her arm moved on its own, sliding _Shigure_ out of its sheath and above her left shoulder. Her mind seemed to register actions several seconds after they occurred. She heard the clink of steel on steel, and the vibrations from the impact left her sword-wielding arm slightly numb. In the corner of her eye, she saw him hesitate and braced herself.

A flurry of attacks rained upon her, and she parried through each one. The weight of each strike pushed her further and further back. Every second took its toll, and her knees began to buckle.

"Your speed got better…" He muttered as though he were grading a paper she had written. She was unable to even reply; all her focus remained on blocking and fruitlessly searching for an opening. When it came to speed, she was comparable to him. But in terms of raw physical power, she was like a flea caught in a hurricane. And it pissed her off.

Throwing caution to the wind, she sliced through the air in front of her, but he vanished again. He was wearing her down. She closed her eyes and began searching for him with Haki until she heard him speak.

"One sword style…" Her eyes opened.

"You wouldn't-!"

"…Great Dragon Shock!"

The scream froze in her throat, and her body would not move. She could not even fall to the ground. All she could do was watch him close the distance. She had once seen him use this attack to slice a woman in half.

 _No…that's not completely true…_

" _What was that?! You didn't actually try to kill her at all, did you?" He'd chosen to scare that enemy into paralysis. Even though she was aiming to wipe out their comrades, he refused to injure a woman._

 _...Which means that this attack isn't meant to kill me either._

Her realization had only taken a split second, and it allowed her to turn her head slightly to locate his intended target. In an instant, she felt the air knocked out of her stomach, and her vision went black.

When she opened her eyes, she found herself sprawled on the floor with _Wado Ichimonji's_ blade plunged into the ground beside her cheek. Zoro leaned on the sword with both hands, as if it were a cane.

"Are you… out of your mind…?! You could… break something important… in here!" Her breath came in spurts and her voice shook. She did not know if it was from exertion or rage. He pointed behind her, so she tilted her head backwards so she could see, albeit upside down. The security snail had toppled onto the floor. The creature was alive, but paralyzed and inoperable.

She lay her head back on the floor.

"Why did you come here?"

"There's something I have to tell you." He said, offering a hand to help her up. Though she took it, her other hand clutched the hilt of her sword.

"Should I ever get defeated or killed," He removed the _Wado Ichimonji_ from the ground, "This sword will go to you."

She blinked twice, "T-to me?"

"Yeah you. I didn't write a will or anything so I thought I'd give you a heads up." He sheathed the sword and scratched the back of his head. He was no longer looking at her, but at the floor next to her. His behavior puzzled her as much as his words. She sheathed _Shigure_.

"I don't understand. After all this time and trouble, you really want to just give it to me?"

"I have my reasons why I picked you, okay? Anyway I gotta go. I don't wanna be here when this place opens up." He turned to leave, but she was not paying attention. She was wrestling with another puzzle.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Note** : I made some slight edits to this chapter.

* * *

"He came out of his way just to tell me that?"

Tashigi was about to resume her patrol, but was stopped by a gnawing in her chest. The feeling told her to follow him. She turned, but there was nothing but shadows and silence there. It was almost as though she had imagined the whole conversation and fight. But it was likely he came looking for trouble. The Straw Hats always found trouble. She could not even fathom why the notorious pirate crew was in East Blue at all. Was it to fight someone?

Recklessness seemed to be second nature to that man in particular. On the day she first met Roronoa Zoro, he had nearly chopped his own arm off to test whether or not a cursed sword would accept him. Despite that, she questioned whether she should be worried about him at all. He had always seemed invincible.

" _This thing's curse or my luck; let's see which is stronger."_

But there were limits to how often a person could rely on luck. Weren't there?

'If he intended to leave the building, chances are that he's still lost somewhere on this floor.' She rationalized as she ran. Ahead of her the glowing exit sign's red arrow pointed left, so she took off in the opposite direction.

She sprinted throughout the museum floor, and for every ten feet there was an unconscious snail. Apparently Zoro's attack had rendered all snails within at least thirty yards into a comatose state. After ten minutes she noticed a figure crossing the glass bridge that connected the two main museum buildings. There was just enough morning light to let her recognize him. Mustering up some energy, she called his name aloud.

"Roronoa Zoro!"

"Shut up, stupid, or we'll both get in trouble!" He snarled but waited.

"There was something… I meant to ask you…" She paused to catch her breath after catching up to him. When he turned, she could not help but stare at the scar on his eye. It seemed darker, but she was not quite sure why or how. There was a second scar on his chest too, but she avoided looking there.

"What is it?" He broke her reverie.

"I read about you in the papers several days ago," She finally said, "They say you've become the world's strongest swordsman." He did not answer, but she continued, asking the same question as the headline of the newspaper:

"How did you beat Dracule Mihawk?"

"It's a long story, and those snails won't stay unconscious for long." He waved his hand from side to side, dismissing the topic. He resumed his steady pace and she walked alongside him. His shoulders were square and his gaze neither dropped nor wandered. She, on the other hand, watched herself place one foot in front of the other. The gnawing creature in her ribcage started clawing.

"Why are you and the Straw Hats here anyway?!" She blurted.

"Huh?"

She marched in front of him and her cheeks puffed with a frown. "What is this whole 'will' thing about? Are you planning on getting yourself killed?"

He tilted his head to the side and studied her. Perhaps he was wondering why a marine cared for his wellbeing at all. She knew she had wondered something similar when he saved her on Punk Hazard.

He sat on the ground with folded legs and placed his three swords beside him. She sat on his other side.

"The choice I made to give you the sword isn't out of nowhere. It's something I actually had to think about." He began. She nodded, still frowning.

"The first challenge was becoming the world's greatest swordsman. Now I have to keep the title." He leaned back and closed his eyes. "If I get defeated even once, I can't call myself the best." The morning sun was beginning to climb, and pink patches of light lay on the floor.

"So then giving me the sword is part of your resolve? If you fail, you'll lose something precious."

"Yeah, in a way I guess." He raised the blade, and she saw him smile a genuine smile as he looked at it.

"The one who gave you this sword must have been important to you." She could not help but smile too.

He stared at her, and for a moment he almost looked scared. Without warning Zoro then got up, nearly toppling her. He cleared his throat, "I'm not planning on dying, so you won't be getting this thing anytime soon."

"Unless I beat you in a fight."

Zoro snorted. She resisted the urge to punch him as she got to her feet too.

He glanced in the direction of the red room, then studied her again. He said quietly, "I want to ask you something, now."

"What?" She snapped, not noticing his change in tone.

"How come you haven't threatened to arrest me yet, navy girl?" It was a valid question. A disparity in strength did not stop her from challenging criminals in the past.

She knew the answer, but was reluctant to admit it.

He had not known that she had already decided against confiscating his sword long before he came to the museum. Roronoa Zoro was not like other criminals. Arrogance aside, Tashigi knew him to be a good man. But as a naval officer, it was not her job to decide whether or not a law breaker deserved freedom; that was the courts' job. No matter how many times she let the Straw Hats escape in the past, she knew that one day they would have to be sent to justice.

"I'm off duty right now." That day would not be today. They continued walking.

In answering his question, she was finally able to solve the puzzle that she had been toying with in the back of her mind.

"You didn't want to put my name in a will…" He slowed down when he heard her mutter, and her eyes widened, "…because you didn't want my name to be associated with a pirate."

He flinched.

"Because you were afraid that it would put my job at risk." She looked at him full in the face. The fight must have been a show for the camera as well.

"I told you, I just didn't want to be bothered!" She smiled slightly, but he still avoided her eye. "Anyway, my crew will deliver it to you if anything happens to me, so there you go." He stormed off, leaving her alone on the bridge.

Part of her hoped that she would never receive that sword.


	3. Chapter 3

"What's with this article here?" Smoker grunted from behind his desk. A standard navy jacket was slung over his shoulders. The rank emblazoned on the back was hidden by his chair, and his shirt was unbuttoned.

Tashigi broke her military-esque posture to reach for the newspaper from her boss's outstretched hand. It was worse than she thought. The article even had a photograph.

She had been dreading this situation since yesterday morning, and as always, Smoker got right to the point. She stood before him in an enclosed office aboard a naval ship off the coast of Loguetown. In the thick, white fog trapped in the room, her collared shirt was stifling. The metal door and windows were also shut tight. Although she thought she had adapted to her boss's affinity for cigars, it seemed that a couple of days away from the office made her vulnerable. She choked on a cough and rubbed some water out of her eyes.

"Fierce battle in the Loguetown Museum…" She adjusted her glasses and read the caption aloud before skimming the rest of the article. It was only to be expected, she supposed. The Straw Hats were practically celebrities now, and she could not control what the museum did with their security footage. She lacked the authority to force them into keeping the video out of the press. Her hope was that the attack Zoro used to knock out the snails would somehow wipe the footage too, but she had no such luck.

"May I open a window, sir?" She spun towards the porthole-shaped window in the back of the room. Despite her strength, the pane would not budge. In her frustration, she knocked over some books piled on a shelf next to the sill. "Sorry."

"You're stalling, Tashigi. That isn't like you. What did the swordsman want?" Smoker's frown hardened.

"If it's alright, Smoker-san, I'd prefer to keep his intentions confidential." She spoke to the window rather than her boss, but her voice did not waver.

Smoker sat up straight for a moment before removing a second cigar from his breast pocket, lighting it, and putting it in his mouth. He inhaled deeply before releasing several puffs, listening to Tashigi's skirmish with the window rather than watching her. When it appeared as though she would not yield, he continued to read the morning's paper. He observed, "You fought that pirate Zoro for over three hours."

'It didn't seem that long.' She thought to herself as she attempted to shake the metal surrounding the glass. However, she did think it was strange that it was almost morning when she found Zoro on the bridge.

The paper crumpled onto the desk and she felt a shadow loom behind her. Tashigi fell still. Smoker reached over her shoulder and unlocked the window. This allowed her to push against the glass and take a deep breath of ocean air before circling towards him again. His arms were folded.

"I believe… he was only toying with me." She admitted, "It wasn't a serious duel." The cough was still lodged in her throat, and it made her voice quiver.

Smoker placed a finger under her chin and raised her face towards his. "That man is nothing to mess around with, and you walked away without a scratch." He confirmed. She nodded, raising an eyebrow. "Next time, don't let him get away."

"Next time, sir?"

"The Straw Hats split up. Don't know why, but this is the best time to catch them." Smoker returned to his desk and unfurled a map. "Each of them took off in a different direction, and I've assigned an officer to each one. The swordsman goes to you." He did not lift his head from the map. "What do you think?"

"Wouldn't it be better to group up and get them all one by one?"

"I don't know how long they'll stay split up, and I wouldn't assign those guys if I didn't think they could handle it." Her obvious doubt lingered in the air, and Smoker eyed her warily.

"If you've got something to say, spit it out."

"I don't think I will be able to take Roronoa Zoro into custody on my own." Her fists were clenched and she bit her lower lip. She hardly recognized herself. When did she start hesitating so much?

"Bullshit. No one but you can do it." Smoker stated, and she finally managed to swallow the lump in her throat. His glare could break the resolve of most criminals before they even attempted to fight him, but Tashigi often found comfort there. "If there's one thing I noticed in all these years, it's that the bastard won't touch you. Anyone else I send will be done for."

"I…won't let you down, sir." Tashigi mumbled to the floor and felt the lump returning.

* * *

 _Earlier that day…_

"MARIMO! What the hell did you do to Tashigi-chan?" The drowsy morning out at sea was no longer tranquil once Sanji found Zoro sleeping on the deck. Nami cringed at the volume. She had no choice but to hand the article to the chef once he saw the picture on the front page. Before she knew it, he had taken off. The picture was blurry, but it was clear that the female marine and swordsman were locked in combat. Even Nami was disturbed by the fact that Zoro appeared to be smiling in the photo.

"Mind your own business, swirly cook." Zoro murmured after a yawn. He reached for the newspaper and Sanji swatted him with it. Nami escaped from Sanji's lecture on "how to treat a lady" and the impending fight in order to find Luffy.

Though the Thousand Sunny was neither in the Grand Line nor the New World, she was always uneasy when leaving someone else in charge of directions for too long. Luffy was almost as bad as Zoro at times, and with the marines on the alert, she would take no chances. Nami found Usopp at the steering wheel instead of the captain and smiled with relief.

"How much farther until we reach Zoro's hometown?" He asked.

"Less than a day if this good weather keeps up." She assured him. The decision to start at Zoro's island once they arrived at East Blue was made unanimously a couple of weeks ago.

 _"We're going on vacation!" Luffy shouted suddenly._

 _"Vacation from what? All you do is eat and play all day anyway." Usopp pointed out._

 _Luffy folded his arms and adopted an aura of solemnity that no one took seriously. "Not just me…Everyone can go where they want to go."_

 _"That still doesn't explain anything!" Usopp threw his hands up. By now, Nami was aware that Luffy's impulsive decisions were rarely just that. Their unorthodox captain often had a method to his madness. But it had weeks since they last set foot on dry land. The navigator suspected that Luffy was getting a little stir crazy until she heard a soft chuckle behind her._

 _"What's up, Robin?" Nami turned._

 _"I think Luffy wants to visit his home in East Blue. Sabo said he would do the same when I last spoke with him." Robin smiled, "He said he would only go if Luffy was there too, though."_

 _"Oh." There was a small tug in Nami's chest when she heard the words "East Blue." The memory of her island was starting to feel less tangible with passing time. She'd exchanged letters with her sister Nojiko, but it was not the same as seeing her in person. Not to mention, Nojiko had a daughter now and Nami longed to meet her. When she had decided to become a pirate and travel the world, these were sacrifices she did not realize she'd be making._

 _"Why now though?" Nami asked. Robin's arms retrieved a calendar from a wall inside the cabin. Once the chain of arms brought it to the deck, she pointed to a date in the following week._

 _"Marineford…." She realized. Robin nodded. The two women returned their attention to the men arguing amongst each other on deck. Franky was posing, Chopper was crying because he thought he might be abandoned, Sanji and Usopp were still trying to comprehend Luffy's sudden desire to split everyone up, and Zoro was napping. Brook was playing the violin in the background, soliloquizing about how much he loved everyone's playful banter._

 _"If we're gonna split up, we should make sure Zoro actually gets where he's supposed to go first." Nami shrugged._

 _"Huh?" Zoro woke up._

As a result, Franky visited Water 7, Brook stayed with Laboon, and Chopper returned to the warm embrace of Dr. Kureha. Half of the crew was shocked that she was still alive, and she nearly thrashed them all for it. Robin had no wish to go anywhere near the remains of Ohara, and chose instead to visit her old revolutionary friends. Jinbei had been attending to business in Fishman Island since the previous month, so Luffy decided that he was already on vacation. Zoro mentioned in passing that he would like to detour in Loguetown, and so they made a pit stop.

Nami left Usopp to steer towards the rising sun. Having just the five original crew members on board reminded her of the first days of their adventures. She reached out and plucked a tangerine from the plant in front of her.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : I have a little trouble writing for the other Straw Hat crew members, so if you have any tips, please share them? Constructive criticism is also welcome. Thanks for reading!


	4. Chapter 4

The blade pierced the stone dummy once more. Tashigi felt her hairclip becoming looser and looser with each stroke until it finally clattered onto the floor. She kept swinging. Sweat slid down her cheek and along her neck. The dummy was once human-shaped, but within an hour she had whittled it down into a stub.

Even Smoker relied on Roronoa Zoro's mercy rather than her strength. She'd mastered Haki, cut ships in half, sliced cannonballs etc. Yet she could never compete with her opponent's monstrous power. Despite that, her ship was currently on a direct course for a rematch with the "World's Greatest Swordsman." She wiped her forehead and pushed the hair away from her face with a single motion.

After climbing so far, she was tired. Did she even want to go any higher? Humans had their limits. Tashigi had been tempted so often to just try a Devil Fruit herself, and her mind seemed set on that track once more. What other options did she have?

 _"_ _The weak don't get to choose how they die."_

 _Trafalgar Law, Crocodile, they all told her something similar about weaknesses and about the justice system. There were times when she believed them too._

She shook her head. That was how criminals thought. But a soldier was one who protected the weak so that they could live freely. On the day she joined the navy, she chose to devote the little strength she had for that cause. Smoker told her to follow her own justice. With rare exceptions, her instincts almost always aligned with his. She _will_ follow his orders without fail.

With a grunt, Tashigi lifted another stone dummy from a corner of the room and replaced the stub. She did not need a Devil Fruit. Besides, those cursed powers often took years to master, and she would lose the ability to swim. Had her boss been present, he would have reprimanded her for even considering it. Instead, she would rely on her own strength, as always.

She found her hairclip, smoothed and secured her disheveled hair, and prepared to strike.

* * *

Within seconds of his arrival to Drum Island, Chopper's fur was coated with clumps of white snow. He loved it.

An increasing number of doctors now lived on the island, and the reindeer beamed as he and Doctorine toured the town. He described some of the remedies he had discovered over the years and offered samples to the local physicians. Chopper had notoriety, but his medical expertise was also accepted without question. Many new doctors had even studied from Chopper's published papers and asked him to sign copies.

The doctors' complements and gratitude were met with phrases like, "Don't think that this makes me happy, you jerks!" even though Chopper was clearly flattered. The dazed reindeer and his former mentor remained in town for the next two nights instead of returning to their old home.

"Wow!" On the third day of his vacation, Chopper marveled at the new pulley system Dalton had installed to connect the frozen castle with the village. The castle had been converted into an educational institution, and the pulley system helped students access the building more easily, even in snowstorms. Doctorine still called the school home, though.

"Now I have to go and make food for this little criminal." She said as they approached the castle. Though her voice was gruff, Chopper knew what she really meant. Once inside, she started a fire and began to cook lunch. The aroma was nothing like Sanji's cooking, but he missed it terribly. As she stirred the stew, a transponder snail began to ring.

It was a sound he had never heard in the castle before. She had always preferred not to be bothered.

 _"If you want to leave that badly, you have to go through me first!" She had shouted at him when he said he wanted to leave with Luffy. He had come back to visit her a few times during the years, but it was always brief. It wasn't enough._

She huffed and sauntered over to the snail, instructing the reindeer to watch the pot. It was only when he saw the proof in her personal living quarters that he realized, 'Doctorine is in charge of a school now. She will always have an assistant to teach!'

He felt his heavy backpack slide off his shoulders.

"What is it?" She answered the phone. After a moment, her countenance turned somber, and Chopper inched closer. "It's for you." Doctorine handed the snail to him.

Even though he was happy to hear Robin's voice on the other line, his blood froze when he heard what she had to say.

* * *

A slim woman with candy pink hair and a fitted suit crossed the threshold of the Baratie. The floating restaurant was often visited by elegant customers. In fact, depending on which staff member was in charge that day, having money used to be a prerequisite for even entering. The head chef Zeff kicked that attitude out of his staff by now, though. The Baratie's restaurant services had branched out into a franchise in the last decade; several ships now roamed various seas offering food to the hungry. They offered a variety of services as well, including a desert-serving submarine.

The woman had been instructed to visit the main ship in East Blue, however. After being welcomed by a large man behind a podium, she was shown to a table.

'Hina can't believe she's taking orders from Smoker-kun now.' Black-Cage Hina blew some hair out of her face. 'But this restaurant _is_ supposed to have really good food...' She had invited her two subordinates Fullbody and Jango to dine with her, but Fullbody seemed to have an aversion for this place. When asked to elaborate, he refused to explain. Jango remained behind to comfort Fullbody from his painful memories, even offering to suppress those memories with hypnosis. It seemed wise to leave them be.

There was a special celebration going on among the staff. From her table she could see banners labelled "Welcome Back You Idiot!" inside the kitchen. She caught the words when the door swung open and a blond waiter stepped out.

She had not even sat down yet before the waiter, who was also in a full suit, seated himself in the chair across from her with a bottle of wine.

"Mademoiselle, a beautiful lady like yourself should not be forced to dine alone." He uncorked the bottle. One of his eyes was covered by long bangs, but in the other eye, she could have sworn she saw hearts.

Tashigi-chan had warned her about this. "Are you Black Leg Sanji?"

With those words Sanji rocketed out of the chair and bounced across the room, alarming some of the other diners. "This heavenly angel knows my name!"

"This'll be easy." Hina smirked and pulled a pair of gloves from her pocket.

* * *

Tashigi stretched her legs and welcomed the summer air on her skin. She had removed her usual naval jacket in favor of a collared short-sleeved shirt and dismissed the subordinates for the evening. There was no benefit to announcing the navy's presence before she had even found her target. Her ship had docked in the local harbor, and from the deck she could see that the island residents were beginning to close up shop. The local pub was open, though, so she decided to start there. The best strategy for finding pirates was to follow the rum.

A general hum of voices and laughter drifted throughout the building. Most customers seemed to know one another, which made sense in a small town. Tashigi ordered a light drink and sat in a corner of the room, sipping slowly. She watched one man start conversations with nearly every person he passed; all of whom patted him in the back. As a fleeting thought she wondered if he had accomplished something noteworthy. One of the patrons mentioned a baby, and an unwelcome but frequently revisited memory burrowed in the back of her mind.

 _"_ _You'll understand when you become a mother someday." Former Vice-Admiral Vergo's voice echoed._

She scratched the back of her neck subconsciously and took a larger sip of her drink. Her lifestyle choices and 'paths not taken' were subjects on which she hated to dwell. She had entertained the idea of starting a family once she was more satisfied with the state of the government and piracy. That decision, though resolute, cut deeply into her time; far more than she had anticipated. She took another gulp. But there was still time. Besides, at least she had the option of starting a family.

"But if I were a pirate, I would never have children." She said to her drink.

On the day Fire Fist Ace had been placed on the scaffold, she was disgusted by the government's attitude. Smoker had also fumed about the irrationality of adding a parent's crimes to a child's offenses. His choice of words were far more colorful than terms Tashigi would have used, of course. The two had worked night and day to combat the notion of "absolute justice" within the World Government, but that one concept still had not changed. It reminded her of Zoro's seemingly random will-

A man plopping onto the stool beside her woke her from her preoccupation with a jolt. She blinked a couple of times and almost forgot where she was.

"Sorry about scaring you there, miss, but you seemed kinda down. Can I buy you a drink?" He offered. He was wearing a black hat that covered part of his orange afro-like hair.

"Err…no, that's alright," She smiled. "Thank you."

"Well, ok, but if you change your mind, let me know." He tipped his hat and started to turn towards a friend before Tashigi recalled why she had come to the bar in the first place.

"Actually, may I ask you something?" She had barely finished the request before he swiveled back around. "I was wondering if you'd seen a man around here with green hair and three swords."

"You mean Zoro?"

"Yes!" Most people did not call him by his first name. This man must have known Roronoa Zoro personally! Upon realizing that he could be the lead she was searching for, Tashigi perked up. Upon witnessing her reaction to the name, the man slumped down.

"Yeah, I remember him, but I haven't seen him recently." He was reluctant to continue, but Tashigi's eagerness prodded him on. "He was the strongest guy in Koshiro-sensei's dojo growing up. He was like a machine with those swords. Not even masters could beat him." She nodded, waiting for new information, but did not receive any. Instead the man squinted and moved closer to her face.

"W-What are you doing?" She nearly fell off the stool as she tried to lean away from the man.

"Sorry, it's just that…now that you mention it…you look a lot like Koshiro-sensei's daughter." He sat up straight once again. "I think that's why I came over too! You looked really familiar."

It was not the first time she'd been compared to a girl she'd never met.

"Where can I find this dojo?"

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Thank you so much for the reviews and tips! They really helped me understand the characters a bit better. If you have any constructive criticism, please don't hesitate to share it. Thanks for reading!


	5. Chapter 5

Why was it that whenever she got separated from her crew, the worst possible scenario never failed to play out? Over the years when left alone Nami had ended up impaled, chased, sexually harassed, kidnapped, turned into soap etc. But that was back in the Grand Line and New World where the inhumanly strong people were. Now that she was in East Blue, she planned to relax. She was sure there wouldn't be any more weirdos to bother her until the navy flags pulled into the harbor across the island. From Bellemere's old home, Nami could see almost everything along this side of the coast.

She slumped with her head against the table. "And I was so sure I lost them too."

"What's got you all worked up?" Nojiko entered the room feeding a baby with a bottle.

"The navy is here, and I'm sick of fighting." Nami whined.

Nojiko chuckled, and Nami was floored. "How is this funny?!"

"It's nice to hear you complain." She answered honestly. In the years Nami had spent trying to buy Cocoyashi Village from Arlong, Nojiko feared that her sister would remain numb to the world forever. But now, Nojiko had asked a simple question and received a straightforward answer. To most people that probably was not much, but to her it was solace. The Straw Hats must have been treating her well, as promised. "Besides, who says you need to fight?"

Nojiko handed the baby to Nami and darted into her room, throwing various shirts, pants and other assorted clothing out of her drawers. "Aha!" Nami, baby in tow, peered inside the room from the doorway. Nojiko was tossing something like a mop head in the air.

"Ta-da!"

Nami did not bother disguising her disappointment. It was one of Bellemere's old headpieces. Their foster mother had gone through several _phases_ before adopting the two of them.

"Don't give me that face. Trust me, it'll look fine once you try it on." Nojiko pulled her sister into the room and locked the door.

* * *

Tashigi removed her shoes before entering the dojo and stepped into an old memory. The scent of the wooden floors and bamboo swords revived her first days of training.

Ten children lined up in front of a large mirror practicing forms. Some grasped the technique right away while others were a bit slower. One boy with glasses like hers managed to throw himself into a nearby barrel. She could not resist a small giggle as she helped him out. Though she was relatively graceful in battle, Smoker constantly reprimanded her for being a klutz in daily life. An instructor supervised the children, occasionally repositioning their arms or footing. When he heard the crash and laughter, he glimpsed Tashigi's reflection. She held up a hand and shook her head, indicating that she did not want to interrupt the class.

The old teacher adjusted his glasses. "Practice this technique on your own for the next five minutes. Help each other if you see someone doing it wrong." Though the words were directed at the children, his eyes never left her. He approached.

"Are you…Kuina?" His voice was grave, scarcely above a whisper. He reached out to touch her. Tashigi felt the floor creak as she took a step backwards.

"I…no, I'm sorry. My name is Tashigi, pleased to meet you." The words spilled from her mouth and she bowed, thankful for a reprieve from his gaze. When she raised her head, the man's features warmed up a bit and he retracted his hand. The reflex that made her want to reach for her sword subsided. "You must be Koshiro-san?"

"Ahh, yes. Forgive my rudeness. It's just that you… resemble my daughter." He bowed with his apology.

Tashigi thought that such a greeting for a daughter was odd until she noticed a small, black shrine in the back corner of the room. She pulled her glasses down from their usual position to see that it was for a young girl. The incense near her picture was still smoking, and white flowers decorated the base. She remembered now.

 _"Listen, your face! It looks exactly like my childhood friend who died a long time ago! And on top of that you started saying the same things she used to say!"_

"That's alright, sir. I've heard it before." The photo surrounded by symbols of mourning was not of her, but Tashigi shuddered just the same.

"That's interesting. From whom?"

"Oh…um…" She returned to the present, "Once from a man in town yesterday, and also from someone named Roronoa Zoro. Do you know him?"

Koshiro laughed. "He's become a little famous now, I hear. I know him well. I was his teacher, though he surpassed me quite quickly." Koshiro acknowledged that Tashigi had seen the shrine and gestured his head towards it, "He and Kuina fought for days on end."

Tashigi refused to look in the picture's direction again. "He was willing to attack her?"

Koshiro nodded, "Yes, they were both children then. I believe he challenged her over two thousand times," She could hear the glint of pride in his voice, "Hard as he tried, he couldn't beat her once, if you'll excuse a father's boasting."

That was hard to believe. She had never seen Zoro lose before. That girl must have had potential.

 _"Don't imitate, copycat woman!"_

"You are a swordswoman, correct?" Koshiro asked when he observed _Shigure._ Tashigi affirmed. His beaming face was like a pat on her head, and she blushed. A student tugged on Koshiro's sleeve.

"Oh, excuse me. I must return to my class. But please wait here, it should not be long. I can tell you more, if you wish." Koshiro returned to the children with more enthusiasm than before.

Even if he had not asked her, she would have stayed. She took a seat.

* * *

Zoro sneezed on his way up the hill. It normally took a lot for him to get sick, but he dismissed any concern. Since he was on vacation, he decided to dress the part. A light breeze lifted his unbuttoned patterned shirt, exposing an X-shaped scar on his chest. One line was from an old wound, but the other was given to him a couple of months ago. His friends had joked that he was starting to take after Luffy. He sure as hell hoped not.

Resting one arm against his three swords, he waded through a sea of grass and humming bees. It had only taken him a day to walk the perimeter of the entire island. This place used to be his whole world before he became a bounty hunter. As a kid he had gone from village to village, conquering dojos. At that time he thought he was unrivaled. But he had learned since then. No one remains untouchable forever.

With that thought, he finally managed to reach his destination. He counted the headstones and stood in front of hers.

 _"You're as weak as ever, Zoro!" Kuina teased._

"Not anymore, but you should know that already." He replied aloud. "I said I'd fight until my name reached you."

News of Hawkeye's resignation from the "World's Greatest Swordsman" title spread across the world within the last week. Like Zoro, it must have taken some time for him to recover and return to the public. He had never asked his former mentor to say a word, but after the news was released, Zoro's bounty skyrocketed.

He knelt and rested Kuina's sword in front of the grave. For a moment he was silent.

In order to achieve his goal, Zoro needed to keep moving and challenging new people. Even now that he held the title, sailing was a part of his blood. He wasn't traveling just for fun, either; he had to support his crew. But after voyaging across the world time and again, he discovered that he didn't mind that this island was so small. It was a change of pace. A life here would be simple. He could even see some appeal to settling down with kids and all that someday.

It just wasn't an option for him.

On the day he learned of Portgas D. Rouge's struggles, Zoro understood that he would ultimately need someone else to inherit the _Wado Ichimonji._ Especially if he was going to stick with Luffy.

"I couldn't have made it this far without you." He admitted to his childhood rival. "But if I'm gonna help the future pirate king, I gotta be prepared for anything." Zoro picked the sword back up and continued walking.

"You'll hear about that too."

* * *

"This place seems so much smaller now, huh?" Sabo said when Luffy bonked his head on a wooden beam.

The revolutionary removed his hat and crouched to maneuver around the old treehouse. "Still, I'm surprised it's standing. And it's actually clean!" He checked a shelf for dust with his gloved finger and found nothing. Even the ASL flag was worn, but still intact and fluttering. The only person he could think of that would take care of this place was Dadan. He tried to imagine her large form restoring the house from top to bottom. Even though she'd be much older now. It seemed she had her own ritual for remembering Ace.

"Oohh! Look over here!" Luffy ricocheted across the room towards the windows. The steering wheel was still undamaged too. He grabbed it and spun with such force that the wheel almost unscrewed. The tree began to shake, and the two men stiffened.

And exchanged a glance.

The shaking came from outside. It felt as though someone had inflicted excessive gravity on the entire area. When Sabo joined Luffy, they also witnessed a white fog settling in the forest below, despite the fact that the skies above them were clear and sunny.

Luffy held his hat and covered his eyes. "This'll be interesting."

* * *

 **Author's Note** : Special thanks to the guest reviewer whose tips inspired both Nami and Zoro's scenes in this chapter! And to WaMiLoe for helping me with the summary and everything. :)

Thanks for reading!


	6. Chapter 6

"Dammit, Brook, you almost gave me a heart attack!"

Since he had lived on the same ship as Usopp for years, Brook was confused as to how his face could still scare the sniper. He had found Usopp sitting on a tree branch telling stories to a blonde woman. She stood between the billowing curtains of a large window. When the skeleton popped out from the leaves to greet his friend, Usopp shrieked and landed nose-first onto the grass below, dragging the skeleton with him. Brook landed nose-first too, not that he really had a nose, per se. Brook called out to the woman in the window.

"Ah! You must be the lovely Miss Kaya that Usopp-san tells us all about! Excuse me, but would you mind-" He was cut off by a sharp smack to the back of his head.

"Don't ask her weird things!" The sniper shouted before regaining his composure. "How come you're here anyway? Did you and Laboon have a fight?"

Brook suddenly remembered Robin's message: "Oh! Usopp-san it's terrible! The navy is coming for you! And I hear that Luffy-san's friend Coby was assigned to this island!" Brook and Usopp screamed in unison. Coby may have been scrawny once, but under Luffy's grandfather's tutelage, he became a dangerous man. As the two pirates panicked, Kaya came out to see what was wrong.

Brook had been told that Kaya was a doctor and was probably accustomed to seeing dead bodies, but even she faltered upon seeing him. Her reaction to Brook was tamer than most, though.

"It's fine." Usopp reassured her over his shoulder with a grin. "He's a friend of mine."

"Oh!" She brightened immediately. Usopp's word was all she needed. As she approached Brook and extended her hand, she said, "Wait, I think I know you! You're Soul King, right?"

"Some people call me that, but I am also known as Brook. Pleased to meet you." He was about to shake her hand (he felt that kissing her hand may cause a problem), but the introduction was interrupted by a clang at her front gate.

Usopp immediately shifted in front of Kaya. It was only for an instant, but it was curious to Brook. He had often seen the more powerful members of the crew protect the weak without hesitating. But he was surprised to see Usopp take to the role so easily. The sniper did not even shiver.

Because of his Observation Haki, Usopp already knew who the guests were. "The navy is here! Sorry, Kaya, but we have to go."

Brook's bones rattled. "But Laboon is in that direction! How will we get to him without them noticing?"

"Don't worry," Kaya said, "I'll help you."

* * *

The grave was not far from his master's old dojo, and Zoro managed to find it within a single evening. He heard a familiar voice coming from within, though it did not belong to Koshiro.

"May I?" The voice belonged to a woman. The world's greatest swordsman ducked underneath a window and peeked into the dojo.

"I would be honored." He saw Koshiro step backwards and let the young woman take charge of the class.

"Nice to meet you, everyone. The technique that I'll teach you today is a favorite of mine." Her back was to Zoro, but there was no mistaking her. He knew that Tashigi had taught people in the navy. Even Coby had said he learned a little bit from her when the Straw Hats last saw him. But seeing her here was surreal. Kuina had fought hard against her father for the right to call the dojo her own, to no avail.

Zoro wanted to slap himself awake.

When the old master squinted in Zoro's direction, the younger man repositioned himself to regain some lost dignity. Koshiro met him outside.

"It has been a long time. Are you well, Zoro?" The old man was about to bow deeply, but Zoro shook his head.

"It's good to see you, sensei." Zoro bowed instead.

"That young woman was looking for you." Koshiro adopted a playful tone that Zoro chose to ignore.

"I don't need to see her." The topic of their conversation was currently tutoring the mirror instead of the children, "But you've changed a lot, sensei. You're letting her teach."

"How could I not?" The old man's shoulders slumped, but his metal-framed glasses reflected the stars. Koshiro invited Zoro inside, but Zoro declined and said that he would come back later. He remained rooted to his spot by the window though. Tashigi was helping a young boy with glasses adjust his stance, but Zoro wasn't really watching her. He was seeing Kuina on the verge of tears, telling him that her father believed she would never achieve her goal. She said she knew that as a woman she could never be the world's strongest.

Zoro did not understand as a child, and he didn't really understand when Tashigi and Kuina kept talking about it either. Weak or strong, he didn't like fighting women if he could avoid it. When others crossed that line, like that fake-god Enel, it bothered him too. Over the years, Zoro had defended all of his friends, male and female. Even that damn cook. But when he was on the offensive, Zoro retained some of that mentality. He'd never thought that mercy was a bad thing until one particular argument with Tashigi. When she'd berated him about sexism in battle yet again, he'd had enough.

 _Several years earlier:_

"Listen, copycat woman, 'cuz I'm only gonna say this once," He got in her face. "If you can't work with what you've got and keep going on about your weaknesses, no one will take you seriously in a fight."

"Easy for you to say! You don't have any weaknesses!"

"I'm half blind!"

"You use Haki anyway!"

"That's the point!" He recalled the first time he challenged a blind marine. That Fujitora guy. Back in Dressrosa, Zoro got plowed into the ground.

Tashigi seemed to be reevaluating what she had said, and he took this opportunity to continue.

"Yeah, I'm stronger than you. I always will be." (The look she shot him was deadly, but he kept talking.) "But so what? Skill matters too." He pointed to the pile of her unconscious subordinates behind him. "Some of those guys are stronger than you, but you can still beat them because you actually know how to fight."

She crossed her arms. "If you believe that, why are you willing to attack them and not me?"

"I already told you why I don't wanna fight you." He sighed.

"And I told you that your reason is childish."

The two glowered at each other for almost a minute. The silence was broken when Tashigi murmured so that only he could hear, "Be honest. You don't even see me as a real opponent, do you?"

He blinked. So that was the problem. What she wanted from him was the same thing he'd wanted from Mihawk.

In the back of his mind, Zoro had always seen Tashigi as someone he had to protect. Whether it was because she was a woman, because she resembled Kuina, because she was a decent person, or because of some other reason, he didn't really know. But by doing that to her, Zoro treated her like an amateur. Mihawk had done the same to him. The man did not even bother with his real sword at first, and used a small dagger to fight instead. Something about hunting rabbits. After exchanging a few words, Mihawk decided that he saw promise in Zoro and chose to let him live, albeit with a nearly fatal wound. Even though Zoro was far more inexperienced back then, Mihawk believed that they could be equals someday.

During his two-year training, Zoro asked Mihawk why that was.

 _"_ _You would have chosen death over defeat. That sort of dedication is rare, and I wanted you to learn more about the world and succeed." He answered while skimming a newspaper._

Zoro repeated these words in his mind as he looked at Tashigi.

 _Goddamnit._

"If mercy bothers you so much, make your opponent regret it." Zoro said finally.

He unsheathed one of his newer swords and flipped it over to the blunt side. In spite of his new insight, he still could not will himself to hurt her. Her reaction was not quite what he was expecting, though.

"Wait a second! Is that the legendary-"

"I finally agreed to fight you, dammit! Focus!"

Every time he saw her since that exchange, her agility and swordsmanship had improved. It made her that much harder to avoid, but that was part of the reason why he picked her. She hadn't managed to make him regret it yet.

* * *

Three days after receiving Robin's phone call, Chopper was nearing an island in East Blue. She had arranged for a ride for the two of them on a small, streamlined boat. The ride and information were courtesy of the Revolutionary Army. Some spies had been planted in the navy and were able to alert her almost immediately after Smoker ordered five marines to hunt the East Blue Straw Hats. It was easiest for her to get in touch with the Grand Line Straw Hats, and she wasted no time in telling them where to go.

The boat sailed so swiftly Chopper's cheeks were starting to feel as rubbery as Luffy's with the constant wind. The waters here were far calmer than anything he had ever seen before. He was amazed by Robin's use of a compass, on which north was always in the same direction. But it was still difficult to enjoy the trip.

"Robin?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think everyone will be okay?" Chopper clutched her leg as she steered. It was difficult since his lifejacket restricted his already limited arm movement.

"There is a chance that the navy may try to torture them into revealing where the rest of us are." She responded. Chopper whimpered a bit and hugged her leg tighter. She patted his head with a third hand and checked her compass again.

* * *

 **Author's Note** : The sexism topic was a tricky one for me. If I said anything strange, please tell me and I'll try to correct it. If you see anything else that bothers you, please let me know. Thanks for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Author's Note** : Special thanks to Black Rook for your insightful comments! I would PM you, but I think you're listed as a guest reviewer so I can't :(

Thanks for sticking with the story so far!

* * *

Koshiro had assured her that if Zoro were on the island, it was likely that he would return to this dojo soon. She was not so sure. Koshiro did not know about Zoro's sense of direction. She could end up waiting here for days.

She listened to the teacher's stories with her attention fixed on the floor. Koshiro's daughter had died almost twenty years ago, but Zoro still called Tashigi a copycat. Even after all this time, was she simply a shadow of this girl in his mind? The fact that this bothered her at all distressed her most.

Over time she had formed a quasi-truce-quasi-one-sided rivalry with the pirate. She challenged him often, but every time she improved he seemed to grow ten times stronger. (There were times when she doubted that he was even human; she couldn't even scratch him.) That didn't stop her from trying again later, though. It was a bizarre relationship, but it had value to her.

Tashigi raised her head and saw that the students were learning a style similar to her own. It had been a while since she'd last tutored new recruits in the navy. While she was here, she might as well kill some time. She hoped it would distract her, but it didn't. Instead, training the children reminded her of an incident with the swordsman roughly two years ago.

 _"Will you stop calling me by my full name? It's annoying." He said._

 _"What should I call you then?"_

 _She felt him shrug against her back, "Zoro is fine."_

 _Dappled spots of sunlight lit the forest floor. It was warm. She might have enjoyed the lush scenery too had it not been for the looming threat and the closeness of the man holding her._

 _There were multiple creatures coming after both of their crews and the local islanders. Like Straw Hat Luffy, guns and physical blows did not really affect them; they needed to be cut in a certain way or else they'd multiply. If she did not master this technique, she would risk the lives of dozens of citizens as well as her soldiers._ _Her mind understood that this needed to be done. Her pride protested, but inevitably gave in._

 _Despite logic, her current situation was testing her patience. Zoro had carefully reached around her to shift her arms to the proper position. He then gently fixed her fingers so that they would grip the sword correctly. When he finally moved his hands to her hips to adjust her stance, she nearly jumped._

 _"J-Just teach me from over there!"_

 _They had fought several times over the years, and after those matches she sometimes ended up pinned on the floor or against a wall staring at his smug face. But that was always with a sword in hand. Proximity in battle was different from this, and she was usually too annoyed with him to care anyway._

 _She didn't think Zoro had any lascivious intent at the moment, but him being that tender unsettled her. A breeze caressed her back as he moved away. Her jacket rested on her shoulders, and she pulled the ends of it closer together._

 _"Whatever." He walked where she pointed._ _"But pay attention! If you mess this up, we're all screwed."_

 _She sighed and tried to recreate the position. After a few tries, she was confident she'd gotten the hang of it. He wasn't a bad teacher, though she'd still never call him by name. Pirates were free to consort with anyone they wanted, but she had to remain distant. Even though a bit of her wished she didn't have to._

 _Wait, what?_

The two worked together on the task assigned to them and emerged successful. The islanders were grateful, and the Straw Hats threw a huge party. It was around that time that she began to realize she didn't want the _Wado Ichimonji_ anymore. Aside from the museum incident, she and Zoro hadn't fought since then.

"Sensei, we're over here. That's a mirror." One of the children said.

"Oh! Sorry. And you don't have to call me sensei."

Tashigi slowly demonstrated the move again, giving instructions with each step. The children imitated. The boy with glasses appeared to be lost, and she chuckled as she helped him out.

* * *

When Chopper arrived in Cocoyashi Village, he immediately started searching for Nami. There was a slight rumble in the clouds overhead, but rain had not started falling yet. Picking up his pace, he followed her scent through town, and it led him to a distant tangerine grove. Some of the fruit began to snap off due to the gathering winds.

Outside of a small house, a woman with blue hair was having a heated argument with some marines. While she was talking, Chopper maneuvered around the far side of the building and was led to a strange old man.

The man had a white mustache, beard and short dreadlocks that smelled strongly of powder. Chopper coughed. The man was hunched over in a wooden chair layered in clothing that was much too large for him, playing with a cane. The poor guy seemed frail and possibly blind. He wore sunglasses even though the clouds were dark. Chopper thought it was peculiar that the man's hands were fairly unwrinkled considering his apparent age.

He was more anxious about the navy's presence, though. One of the marines had a funny looking chin that seemed familiar, but Chopper could not recall where he had seen him. Thankfully, they were leaving.

A loud sneeze startled him. In his alarm, Chopper bumped his head into the man with the ill-fitting clothing. "I'm sorry, sir!"

"Chopper! It's me!" Nami removed her powdered wig and beard and sniffled. "At least now I can get rid of these."

The pile of extra clothes and fake hair reminded him of everyone's disguises in Dressrosa. At that time he had secretly wanted a false mustache and beard too, but was assigned to the ship. When Chopper told Nami of his suspicions about the "old man," she touched the tip of his nose and said his intuition was improving.

With a hand on her hip, the blue haired woman greeted the two in her backyard. Nami introduced her as her sister "Nojiko." Nojiko did not seem surprised to see a talking reindeer and shook his hoof. She even knew his name. Her smile was playful, but genuine. 'Kind of like Nami's.' He thought to himself.

Unfortunately, Nojiko had to cut the conversation short when a baby's cry sounded from inside the house. After her sister departed, Nami explained that she had been playing it safe until either backup came or the marines left.

"We should get out of here fast, though." Nami warned. "I think they'll be back."

At that moment, Chopper heard a marine shout in the distance, "Hey! I think I saw the Straw Hats' transforming pet!"

"I am not!" Chopper protested, and Nami covered his mouth with a protective hand. Unfortunately, several of Chopper's forms now appeared on bounty posters. He still had not managed to shed the title of "pet" either, despite his medical accomplishments.

Once the navy returned, Chopper jaw dropped when he realized just how many soldiers there were. Was all of this necessary for just one woman?

* * *

"For aiding and abetting two criminals, I will have to take you in."

Kaya accompanied the marine without struggle. "I understand."

 _Be safe._

Usopp and Brook darted between trees in the forest overlooking the town. They were guided by Carrot, who was one of Usopp's old followers. Usopp, out of habit, checked behind his shoulder and skidded to a halt. With Observation Haki, he was able to see the arrest from Kaya's doll-sized house in the distance.

He ran back.

He knew that every step was bringing him closer to an enemy he and Brook may not be able to handle. Coby was approximately as strong as Sanji now. Even Luffy had some trouble with him. Fighting would be a last resort. A _very_ last resort. But Usopp couldn't let her get taken either.

Over the years Usopp found that staying alive can feel like more of a curse than a blessing if you do (or don't do) something you truly regret. The best way to make up for past mistakes was to learn, and to keep improving. His father had taught him that.

Usopp halted at the edge of the cliff above Kaya's home. Brook skittered down the side with hollow legs. Carrot finally caught up to Usopp and was bent over, breathing heavily. The young man was about to ask why Usopp had turned back until he noticed the crowd outside of Kaya's door.

"I THREATENED HER!" The navy's attention turned to the bellowing man.

The lie was an old glove, and Usopp slipped into his role. He did not have to strain his imagination for this one anyway. "I used her! I came here for her money and I need her to sign it over to me!" He grabbed Carrot's arm and shook him. "Touch her and I'll kill this boy!"

"Your hands are shaking, Captain." Carrot whispered.

Coby approached the crowd and turned to the blonde woman. "Is this true, ma'am?" She shook her head "no." But her response was not for the marine.

 _Don't try to protect me, Kaya. Not if you're gonna sacrifice yourself._

Usopp retrieved his oldest slingshot. His arsenal had expanded over the years, but this weapon was partial to him. Especially since he was home again. A man with binoculars spoke to Coby, "He's got a weapon sir!"

Coby commanded his men: "That man is a skilled sniper! Don't let him hit you." He then dashed skyward, swifter than the eye of most normal humans. 'I'll get the boy.'

Usopp could see the men scrambling about, but he could not really hear them. He shifted his attention to Coby. "Why is he coming here so fast-WOAH!" Usopp fled into the trees and left Carrot behind. The young man had never seen him move so quickly before. Captain Usopp had become an even faster runner in his travels.

* * *

The transponder snail in her pocket began to ring. Tashigi excused herself from the class and stepped towards the back of the room near a window. She stripped off her collared shirt and wiped the sweat from her forehead with it. She wore a tanktop underneath. When she reached into her pocket for the snail, two envelopes fell to the floor. She ignored them for a moment to answer the call.

"Hello? Is something wrong?" She began to pick up the papers.

"We got Black Leg Sanji, ma'am! According to Miss Hina's report, he practically walked right into her arms."

"… _I heard the sound of a woman's tears falling…"_

Tashigi swallowed and tried to push the voice out of her thoughts. "What about the other Straw Hats?"

"No other reports have been filed." She realized that she had been clutching the papers while waiting for the response and tried to smooth them out. Folding them properly, she placed them back into her pocket. The snail then asked:

"Have you captured Roronoa Zoro yet?"

As soon as the name was said aloud, she became acutely aware that someone's eyes were on her. The person's murderous intent was almost tangible, and it made her shiver. Careful to avoid sudden moves, she turned and casually placed a hand on her sword as she answered, "No, I still haven't even seen-"

She stopped when she saw someone framed by the window in front of her. They locked eyes for an instant, and then he was gone.


	8. Chapter 8

_"_ _Have you ever met a fierce animal that you were sure would never bite?"_

The old teacher had been smiling, supervising the children as they imitated her movements. She had been laughing alongside the kids, adjusting an arm here, a leg there. The image was engraved into Zoro's mind. And now he wanted to burn it.

He'd let his guard down.

The farther Zoro's treads took him from the dojo, the taller the grasses became. While he was here goofing around on "vacation," his friends were being hunted by the navy. Right now he only knew about the chef. There was no telling what had happened to the others. The moonlight was just enough for him to recognize where he was. This was the meadow where he'd last dueled Kuina. He did not want to be here now. Not with that woman right behind him.

"Stop right there!" He kept walking.

Tashigi sprinted in front of him and blocked the path with an extended hand. When she saw his face, her eyes widened. Withdrawing her arm, she unsheathed the steel and held it in front of her. Dark clouds crept across the moon, and the meadow fell under shadow.

"You and Smoker planned this."

She flinched but met his eye. "Yes."

An immense pressure descended on her, and she gasped with the strain. She grappled with it, struggled, until she had finally frozen. Her hand was clutching at her throat as if she had tried to scream. He had done something similar to her at the museum.

He started to move forward, but the blade rose again to block him. The bare arm wielding it was shivering. Her breaths were short. With enhanced senses he could hear her heart quickening. But she should have been paralyzed by now.

"Move." He said.

With the wind shifting direction and rustling leaves in the trees behind him, he could barely hear Tashigi's voice. It almost felt like she was telling him a secret. "Smoker-san once told me that if I'm upset about being weak, I should just get stronger." The blade veered towards him. He leapt back and drew two swords out of sheer instinct.

She pointed her _meito_ towards him and now held it with both hands. "So I tried. I wanted to be as good as you someday."

Zoro raised a brow. She made eye contact again. "I won't let you escape."

 _"...When girls grow up, they become weaker than men." Kuina lamented, "Even you'll catch up to me soon..."_

 _"Don't whine like that after you beat me! That's not fair!"_

Tashigi had vanished. He couldn't trace her.

 _"You're my goal! Boy this, girl that. You act like none of it is skill!"_

Blood was leaking from his shoulder before he could feel the wound.

* * *

Sanji stretched the chains to his limit, but they would not break. It might have been his thousandth attempt. He could not think of anything else to do.

Three days ago the Baratie staff crowded around Sanji when he returned. He gave a general greeting to all of them and then looked for Zeff. Most of the waiters and chefs followed him up the stairs while new recruits stayed behind to keep the restaurant going. He found the old man asleep, resting his peg leg on the base of the bed. When the crowd entered, Zeff awoke.

"Geezer. You haven't died yet?" Sanji grinned.

"Brat." Zeff acknowledged him.

Sanji's attention turned to a billboard-sized photo outside the restaurant. It was visible from Zeff's window. Sanji wondered how he had missed it when walking in.

"You jackasses! Why the hell is that scribble still here?!" One man claimed it was good advertising, and a brawl ensued between Sanji and the staff, who were roaring with laughter. When Sanji was about to kick them all headlong into the billboard, Zeff interrupted:

"The All Blue. Did you find it yet?"

The answer was no, but Sanji did not mind that. Though Sanji was a bit of a dreamer, the adventures he'd had with the Straw Hats were beyond even his fantasies. Hot and cold islands, sea trains, sky islands, haunted ships, living toys, Ivankov; he'd seen some crazy things. The mermaids at Fishman Island were still his favorite by far, however. He could have died happy there. With each passing year, he became more confident that the legendary sea existed in the New World. Getting there would just take a little more work.

The next day, Sanji waited tables for old time's sake and found himself in the presence of a beautiful woman. She'd said she wanted him. Who was he to deny the request of a lady? His friends were telling him to run, but even if he wanted to, he couldn't. The Baratie was in the middle of the sea, and his Sky Walk could only take him so far. The staff gathered kitchen-based weapons to fight for his freedom, but he held up an arm.

The fact that she alone had been sent for him meant she was probably strong... Or that the ones who sent her knew him fairly well. Or both. It was likely that the staff would end up getting themselves arrested too. Though it was not like he'd let them harm her for any reason anyway.

"I'll be damned if any of you touch this lady."

"But Sanji-"

"Enemy or not." The Straw Hat spoke quietly and dropped his last cigarette onto the floor. He then raised his arms and let Hina pass a hand through his wrists. Metal bands took shape where her hand had been. It seemed like an illusion. As far as he knew, his first guess had been correct; she was a Devil Fruit user. When the two of them left the restaurant, the billboard caught her notice. Ironically, even she had missed it coming in.

"That picture looks nothing like you." She noted with a puff of smoke.

"Thank you." He said. That alone made his capture worth it. Once inside the naval ship, she handcuffed him with standard sea-prism shackles. His legs too.

Sanji's body curled in the dim cell. His stomach growled. He'd attempted to plan an escape for hours, but withdrawal was incredibly distracting.

* * *

Zoro marked her, circling.

She mirrored his every step.

The grass brushed his knees and the blood trailed down his arm onto the _Wado Ichimonji._ He slid his green bandana onto the wound and used his teeth to tighten the knot.

"Soru!"

He expected her to use that chance. One of his blades caught her weight and repelled her. She skidded with one hand on the floor, maintaining balance. Standing upright once more, she was poised to strike again.

This attitude of hers made things simpler for him. She was a marine, and he was a pirate. Nothing more. His job now was just to escape. He flipped one sword over to the blunt side and she halted mid-run. A scowl formed on Tashigi's lips. "If I win because you went easy on me, I won't forgive you."

"You always talk so damn big."

A cut appeared on her shoulder before she could react. The wound was not too deep, but she gaped at her left arm as though he had impaled her. He shrugged and pointed the other sword towards her. "Whatever you do to me, I'll do to you. It's only fair."


	9. Chapter 9

When Helmeppo and the marines first came to Nojiko's door, Nami had cheered inside. True, he had been trained by Luffy's grandfather, but he was also kind of an idiot. Her disguise might actually work long enough for her plan to succeed. The crowd behind him made her wary, though.

"We have intelligence saying that Cat-Burglar Nami would be on this island." He spoke as though he were reading the words from a textbook. Clearly he had gone through this process with several houses.

"I don't see why she'd come here." The homeowner replied. Nojiko and Nami's adoption had never been formally documented. Few people outside of town knew of Nami's connection to Cocoyashi Village.

"She is a dangerous criminal, ma'am. We'll have to check around just in case."

"I don't suppose you have a warrant? I'd prefer not to have you all roaming around my house without a real reason. Plus, my child is asleep."

As Nojiko stalled the navy, Nami continued twirling her clima tact at the side of her chair. The clouds churned slowly overhead. The entire disguise had come from a single headpiece; the sisters cut the dreadlocks short and managed to use the extra hair to make Nami look like an old man. The fake beard was itchy, and the powder they had used to color it made her want to sneeze. But she held it in to keep from drawing attention. She would have preferred to wait inside, but if worst came to worst, she needed a way to defend herself. That required her to be outdoors.

One of the marines tried to sneak around the house, but Nojiko caught him and an argument started. Nami found her courage failing her. She was not sure if she would be able to hold off the navy until help came.

Luckily, that was when Chopper showed up.

Swords and guns closed in on them with Helmeppo in the lead. Why were there so many soldiers? Nami froze with a tight grip around her weapon. She, Usopp and Chopper were known as the weakest three of the Straw Hats. The navy was well aware of this, she was sure. But to her surprise, Chopper did not panic. She saw him glance towards the sky.

Taking the initiative, the reindeer morphed into his antler-point form, scooped Helmeppo up, and tossed him into the air. "Now, Nami!"

His words jolted her. Nami twirled her clima-takt and pointed it towards the clouds. A rumble shook the ground. Multiple bolts of lightning struck the airborne marine, with stray bolts electrocuting the men behind him. Chopper stood several feet away from the blasts.

The navigator remembered when she was learning how to properly aim and twitched. She never would have attempted this attack in an inhabited village before, but she'd had enough time to plan it out here. And it worked! The blasts were enough to render Helmeppo and his soldiers unconscious for a short time.

Chopper galloped towards Nami. She grabbed a hold onto his backpack-strap and flipped onto the reindeer's back.

The boys had promised her after the incident at Arlong Park that she would never have to fight by herself again if she didn't want to, knowing how much she hated combat. Simply having Chopper alongside her was enough.

* * *

It had been a long time since she'd last worked alone. Since joining the Straw Hats such occasions were rare, and she was grateful for that.

Robin pulled up alongside yet another navy ship. The last two were closer to the Baratie, but neither held the chef. She was beginning to lose hope until she spotted this ship in the horizon.

"Cien fleur! Ojos azules!" Eyes sprouted from every nook and cranny of the ship. The night had grown dark, and it was difficult to see even inside the vessel. She prayed that as she was searching, a rogue wave wouldn't knock her small boat over and have her lost to the sea forever. The lifejacket she was wearing may not be enough to save her. After several seconds of scanning she relaxed her pose and allowed herself a small smile. Sanji was here.

With multiple dangling arms hanging off the port side of the ship, she was able to latch on to the railing and pull herself on deck. As she pulled, two of her other arms found a rope from within the large vessel, tossed it out a porthole, and secured her boat to a stray line on the back of the ship. If the navy ship sailed, her escape route would not be lost. Multitasking had gotten even easier for her in the last decade.

Underneath the navy insignia, her quiet smile hardened into stone. It was an old wound, but time and _that man_ helped her recover a little from it _._ She opened a door and slipped into a hallway. There was a small broom closet nearby, and she shut herself inside. With a "clutch," the guard outside of Sanji's cell was incapacitated. She sent a clone to meet her friend.

"Robin-chan!" The cook was startled, and though he was bound hand and foot by sea-prism chains, his concern was for her. "Are you alright? Did you get hurt trying to find me?"

"Not at all." She assured him with a whisper. But she frowned when she observed the room more closely. Sanji was not a Devil Fruit user, but he was currently trapped within a sea-prism cage. It dawned on her that the navy may have been expecting a rescue.

"I'll come back soon." The clone promised before disappearing with falling petals.

The original Robin summoned the eyes once more, this time scanning for a control room. Upon finding it, she knocked out the operator and summoned a clone to disable the security. As an afterthought she sabotaged the controls as well. This way, even if she and Sanji were caught escaping, the navy would be unable to pursue.

She assessed the damage. If she weren't doing this to save a friend, Robin might have felt a little guilty about leaving the marines stranded in the middle of the ocean. Not for the navy's sake, but for that of Aokiji. Anyone willing to risk his reputation on "the devil child" deserved more than this from her.

Fortunately, the keys for Sanji's cell and shackles were hanging in the room as well. Tossing it to herself, she returned to the black hallway.

* * *

Brook lay in the bushes near Kaya's home. He leaned at a forty-five degree angle against a wall, waiting for Coby to fade out of sight. When he was sure the young man had already scaled the cliff, Brook slid a blade from his cane.

"I've come to kidnap that young lady." He said as he strolled between the marines. He sheathed his blade. The marines were frozen solid, though Kaya was unharmed. Apologizing for his forwardness, he held Kaya's arm and started to run with her towards the cliff.

"Wait! If they're left like that too long, they could die!"

"I'm sorry, Miss Kaya. Usopp-san did not want you to get caught. I want to help him, but I can't leave you either." Brook did not enjoy endangering people, but times were desperate. He then had an idea when he noticed that her staff had been watching the whole show from inside the mansion. Probably since the arrest.

"Perhaps you could call for help!" He offered. It could give some witnesses that could attest to her leaving against her will. And the marines could be rescued. She did so, but they did not linger long enough to see if the plan worked. As they ran, Kaya told Brook where Usopp was headed. A dense forest lay ahead of them atop the cliff. They talked for a little bit until other voices could be heard close by.

"No friend of Luffy-san would resort to using hostages." It was Coby.

"That's not true! My name is feared across the seas! I've robbed and killed all kinds of people!" Brook could hear them, though he could not see where Coby and Usopp were. Knowing that they were close by was good, but it also raised other concerns.

From the cliff face near the water, the sniper would easily be able to spot a whale of Laboon's size. But then, so could the navy. Brook trembled. He had carved into the large mountain dividing the Grand Line and East Blue to give the whale some freedom. The Sunny had blasted the weak spot open with Franky and Usopp's enhanced cannons. But the whale had Luffy's mark painted on his head. The navy was bound to realize that Laboon was connected to them, and Brook hated risking his friend's safety.

But times were desperate. He let go of Kaya's hand.

Opening his skull, Brook played the old melody of his former shipmates. The song should have no meaning to the marines, but Laboon would understand. The whale's senses were keen thanks to Crocus' medical services. Within a few moments, Laboon's musical roar shook the island, letting Brook know that he was coming. Usopp would get the message too. After a minute or two of moving foliage, Brook was able to find his friend in a small clearing. Kaya remained behind him.

When he saw the musician, Usopp declared, "S-She hasn't signed anything over to us yet! I'm not leaving!" Coby turned to see the girl in white guarded by the skeleton. Brook noticed a fire in Coby's eyes. He thought he heard Coby mutter something about "absolute justice" too.

"Nothing will happen to her. I promise. She had been threatened by notorious pirates after all." Coby saluted. "But either way, I'll have to arrest the two of you."

He dashed towards the sniper, and Brook rushed to catch up. Usopp dove out of the way and fumbled in his bag for a pellet. Brook and Coby's swords connected. Despite being slightly more brittle than the average man, the skeleton was able to keep up with the marine. Armament Haki helped him protect his bones. Brook felt thankful that Zoro was such a good sparring partner too. He was not sure how long he could hold out, though.

Usopp shot a smokescreen "star" at Coby's torso, and the marine started coughing. Brook, lacking lungs, headed towards his friend. They knew they needed to leap off the cliff, but Usopp just stood at the edge, shaking.

"Forgive me, Usopp-san." Brook said.

With all the strength he could muster, Brook shoved Usopp off the side and leapt after him.


	10. Chapter 10

"So you finally got some fighting spirit." Zoro taunted. Tashigi ignored him and kept on the offensive. He counted fifty-three strikes. And brushed off each with a wave of his sword. But all of his attempts to return her blows were met with a solid "clink."

He had always assumed that her defense needed work. Usually when they sparred, he would try to motivate her into fixing it. But there was no need. Now that she knew he could cut her, she took no chances. Which meant that she had let herself be a little careless before because she expected his weakness. That annoyed him.

He knocked her sword off balance. "Two sword style-"

"Soru!" She used the CP-9's infamous technique to retreat. She never stayed still long enough for him to disarm her either. He briefly considered not saying the style of his attack before using it.

Once she'd created some distance, his swordsman instincts started setting in. He pursued, driving her backwards with relentless strikes. Her back hit a tree. She did not realize that something had been in her way. She glanced back. He could end it now. His arm raised. She looked up at him with wide eyes, seeing what he was about to do.

 _"_ _Why won't you finish me off?"_

He just couldn't.

 _"_ _Is it because I'm a woman?"_

No. That wasn't it.

His hesitation was broken when he felt a blade against his side. Haki kicked in, and the armor that formed along his stomach stopped her sword before it got too deep. She was distracted, trying to understand what had blocked her. For an instant, he could have sworn she looked relieved. But a deal was a deal. He flipped the sword in his unraised hand and sliced her side too. She winced a bit. He backed away without thinking.

He knew that fighting her would reach this level eventually. One can only go so far without cutting their opponent in a swordfight. Physically, he had enough energy to last him for hours. Maybe even days. But he was not sure he could keep this up for much longer.

* * *

"The Sunny is camouflaged near the harbor by the rocks. I used the new coating." Nami explained as she and Chopper hurtled beyond the village. The seashore drew near, and Chopper rounded a corner as Nami directed. His hoofs skidded into the soft sand when they witnessed a large man floating in midair above the ocean. Nami was nearly thrown off of the reindeer's back.

"Franky?" The pair spoke in unison.

"Oh! You guys! I was supposed to find Zorrro," Franky had a habit of rolling the letter "r" in certain words, "but I thought you'd need help getting the Sunny out to sea." He fired multiple shots at precise locations and with a "pop" the Thousand Sunny appeared.

The "invisible" coating was the result of a collaboration between Nami, Usopp and Franky. Nami and Usopp developed a bubble with a reflective surface, like a mirror. Nami had done research on the properties of the Sabody Archipelago bubbles, and Usopp looked into materials that could camouflage. After several months, they beta-tested their project on a toy boat. When Luffy was convinced that the toy had vanished into thin air, despite their explanations, the duo was convinced.

Franky found a way for the ship to coat itself with the push of a button. The substance could emerge from a pipe towards the top of the ship. The material was denser than air, so it sank and coated the ship when released. Depending on where The Thousand Sunny was anchored, the mirror-surfaced bubble could render the ship invisible. The drawback was that if people got too close, they could see the curve of the bubble and possibly their own reflections. Also, the inside of it was reflective too, so the Straw Hats could not sail with the coating on.

"How did you know where the Sunny was?" Nami asked, climbing aboard.

"Aoww!" Franky replied with a thumbs-up, "There is no way I'd ever lose this ship."

She didn't really understand, but Chopper interjected, "We have to hurry! The navy is fast! What if Zoro's in trouble?"

"I wouldn't be too worried about him." Nami said aloud, but she rushed inside the cabin. She found the East Blue map on top of a neat stack of envelopes on her desk.

* * *

His faltering must have ruffled her, because Tashigi began her assault once more. As Zoro parried, he wondered why it was so easy for her to strike at him when he was stuck halfway. Was it her drive? Was it stronger than his at the moment?

Last time it had only taken him three hours to wear her down. Though she had speed and defense, she lacked his strength and stamina. Despite this advantage, he did not have that kind of time now that he knew his friends were in danger. On top of that, he did not know how to find the other Straw Hats. After defeating Tashigi, he'd have no idea where to sail-

A beam of light flew towards him, and he leapt aside. The blast proceeded to slice down several trees in the distance. A thin red line formed on the skin just above his haramaki.

"So what, now you're gonna kill me?" He rested _Wado Ichimonji_ on his shoulder and kept the other sword in his right hand.

"Unlike you, I can't afford to hold back." She spat. "But no, I don't want to kill you."

"Could've fooled me." He glanced at the wound at his side.

"How else am I supposed to arrest you? It's not like you'll come willingly."

"Make up your mind. Arresting me, killing me, it's the same thing." Zoro said. She stood up straight and lowered her weapon, confused.

He strolled towards her with the blade behind his neck, "What do you think would happen if I got arrested, huh? The World Government has hated us since the day we saved Franky and Robin. Everything we did afterwards pissed them off even more. You really think any trial for me will be fair?" She dropped her guard, and in an instant she had an identical mark below her chest. Her free hand covered the cut. He stood beside her now, facing the opposite direction.

"I'd end up on the execution block for sure."

Though his tone was calm, Tashigi looked as though she had just been shot. He caught something fragile in her expression that he was not sure he should have seen. She'd always been easy to read, but he'd never seen _that_ before. When it appeared as though she would not move, he started to walk away.

"…Zoro."

His body turned rigid.

"Smoker-san and I... have been working to change the system. The World Government's priorities since the lost history and with Ohara were wrong, and people are starting to see that." Zoro recalled Robin's speech five years ago. Robin had been afraid that no marines or higher officials would listen to her, even with her "extra proof." But that proof must have been enough to convince Smoker and his crew.

"Right now the legal system isn't perfect, but the rules apply to everyone. I can't… make an exception for you and your friends!" Sparks flew when Tashigi's blade met his, and droplets of water fell. Zoro understood now. His fighting spirit came from a craving for battle and strength. The core of his resolve stemmed from emotion, but in this fight the bloodlust had been drained from him. Her spirit came instead from her sense of justice. But now she was struggling.

This struggle left her with many openings.

He aimed heavy blows at her sword. She scarcely managed to evade him. Strands of her hair started coming undone and her attacks began to miss altogether. It was as though she wasn't even trying to hit him; she kept hesitating whenever she came close. He doubted if even she realized that, though. She took a wide swing, he ducked, and knocked the sword from her grip. _Shigure_ twirled in the air before landing in the tall grass. He pinned her down with a sword on either side of her to prevent her from trying to wield it again.

"You already knew how this would go." He smirked.

That earned him her usual glare. He snickered. A decade had not stopped her from being a sore loser.

At some point her hairclip had slipped out during the fight. As a marine, Tashigi was normally well-kempt, but here her tangled blue hair spilled in every direction. Between that, the moisture on her cheeks, and the scowl on her face, she was a mess. A mess that had just lost sight of her goal.


	11. Chapter 11

**Author's Note** : Thanks to ThaliaSanchez for your reviews! And for the term "bubbleflage" lol.

In case anyone wanted to know, the bubbleflage idea came from a calendar. There was a picture of a treehouse in it that had been built with mirrors on the outside- it looks really cool if you want to see. Google has a bunch of different ones listed. The one I saw was from Sweden I think...

* * *

Zoro let go of his swords.

He let Tashigi sit up, skeptical that she was going to try to attack him again, and turned his attention to her shoulder. In the fight, her wound had opened up even more, and the blood had trickled down along her skin. Having no other cloth around, he removed his shirt and tore off a long strip. She slowly held out her arm and let him wrap the strip around her shoulder. The strap from her shirt was in his way, so he moved it aside. She tensed for a moment, but said nothing and made no movement to stop him.

He thought she would protest for pride's sake, telling him off for having pity on her or something. But she seemed worn out. It occurred to him that this may have been the first time she let him touch her without keeping her guard up or making a fuss.

He also found himself avoiding her face while he worked. He hadn't had to do that for a while.

Tashigi used to annoy the hell out of him. He sometimes even mocked her the way Kuina used to taunt him. He couldn't help it. But the differences between Tashigi and Kuina became clearer to him after some time. One sought to protect people while the other fought to change how people viewed her. Both had to deal with the same shit (as Tashigi used to keep reminding him), but beyond that they weren't really that similar. Once he'd realized that, the marine became easier for him to handle.

The reason why he couldn't look at Tashigi now was a bit different.

Nami was probably the first one to see this coming. On the night that began their voyage to Dressrosa, she and Zoro had the first watch. Nami was there to ensure that the ship would stay on course, and Zoro was there to make sure Caesar didn't try anything stupid while everyone was asleep. After a few hours, Nami came down to check on things. The clown-man was knocked out. Zoro was sitting with his back against the ship and his arms behind his head, appreciating the silence until she broke it.

 _"_ _The weather has been calm so far. I'm surprised."_

 _"_ _I guess." He replied._

 _A few moments passed before she asked the question that he assumed must have been bothering her for some time._

 _"_ _Will that marine and the children be safe sailing alone?"_

 _"_ _How should I know?" He glanced up at her, but she was leaning against the railing and staring out into the New World. He knew that she had hoped to take care of the children herself, but their status as pirates restricted them. It was one of those instances where the navy had even more freedom than they did. As a result, Nami had entrusted the kids to Tashigi._

 _"_ _She won't let anything happen to the kids." He said, resting his head against the wall again._

 _"_ _And if something happened to her, what would you do?"_

 _He was at a loss for words for a second, and her widening grin only served to irritate him more. Answering the question he hadn't asked, Nami added, "She's the same girl you were hiding from in Alabasta, isn't she?"_

 _"_ _How the hell do you even remember that?"_

 _She_ _shrugged_ _, "I thought it was weird for you to be scared of anybody, let alone some random marine. Plus it looked like she worked for that Smoker guy, so I made a mental note." She tapped the side of her head._

 _"I wasn't scared of her." He clarified._

 _"Sure, whatever." Nami laughed, "Besides, I'm sure they'll be fine. Smoker will probably catch up with them eventually too."_

What would he have done if something had happened to Tashigi out at sea? Probably nothing. It might've bothered him, but at that time he didn't really know her that well. Zoro never liked seeing her struck down, though. Even back then. He usually tried to avoid fighting her for that reason, though he couldn't resist the urge to laugh at her aggravated face when he won.

He had a soft spot for Tashigi. It was no secret. His friends knew. Hell, even his enemies probably knew. He doubted she was sent here by coincidence. Over the years, it had gotten worse.

Zoro finished tying a knot. The cloth seemed secure enough. He disregarded the marks he'd left on her waist and stomach. She should be able to take care of those herself if she wanted to. Besides, if he didn't trust himself to look at her face, he couldn't trust himself to look any lower either.

* * *

Crocus had taken the liberty of installing a telecommunications system inside the whale. Brook did not press for details. Once they escaped, Usopp called their crewmates to find out where they should meet. Brook guided Laboon based on Nami's directions.

During the voyage, Brook reflected on his conversation with Miss Kaya. Usopp did not get to visit her often, and Brook felt guilty about having to cut their meeting short. When he apologized for these things, she told him not to worry, and that she was happy to see that Usopp was doing well. Brook asked how the two had gotten so close, if she did not mind telling him.

She explained that she had been living in a depression for a few years, stuck in her house after being orphaned. Memories of foggy nights began to take shape, but Brook concentrated his thoughts on Miss Kaya's story. Whenever she felt alone, Usopp would appear and tell her a few of his infamous stories. When she described some of them, Brook noted that they were tame in comparison to the actual adventures the Straw Hats have had in the past decade. Ultimately, Usopp had encouraged her to live and pursue her own dreams. Through studying medicine, she had even gotten the opportunity to travel.

Miss Kaya had a great deal of respect for Usopp. Brook could tell just from the way she spoke of the sniper. He supposed it was a feeling that Usopp was not used to receiving.

Usopp was sitting towards the back of the whale, staring at the island they'd left behind. Perhaps he was checking whether or not Coby had kept his word.

Something in Brook's gut told him that she was still waiting for Usopp to return home as a brave warrior of the sea. Even though Brook didn't have a gut. This suspicion upset him. The one thing he hated most was having someone wait.

The musician retrieved his violin and let the bow glide across the strings. He continued playing even as the sun's glow sank into the sea.

"What's wrong with you?" Usopp wondered aloud as they approached the Sunny.

* * *

She had lost again. And had said too much. She felt she could fall no lower.

Tashigi reflected on this while he wrapped her arm. Wiping her face, she did her best to ignore his proximity and observed fireflies through glass eyes. Dozens pulsed with a faint glow here and there. Aside from that, the rest of the meadow was still. When he had finished, Zoro tore off two more strips and handed them to her. Presumably so she could tie them around her stomach, but she didn't bother.

For a moment, she wondered why he felt the need to take care of her. She hoped it wasn't pity. He wasn't that cruel.

She shifted and felt a dull pain from her side. Peering down, she realized that her tank top had been torn in two places. The little blood that spilled from the two cuts had diffused along the shirt's fibers. It looked worse than it felt. She fumbled with her pocket to get the envelopes.

They were still clean. She released a breath.

Tashigi glanced over at Zoro, but he wasn't looking at her. She waved the envelopes in front of him to get his attention.

"For Nami and Chopper, right?" He said as he shoved them roughly into his pocket.

"Yes. Mocha still misses them, so be gentle with those."

In all honesty, she was glad that Mocha was still alive and well enough to keep writing. A sentiment she shared with the two pirates that received the letters. This was the only way Mocha could think of to keep in touch with the Straw Hats throughout the years. Being indebted to pirates had pained her at first, but Tashigi could not let her personal prejudices get in the way of a child's feelings. Zoro never made it easier for her either.

He was chuckling to himself.

"What is it?" She asked.

"You really didn't think you'd arrest me. You brought these knowing I was the only one here." He turned towards her.

"Y-You-! Why do you always have to be like that?" Her voice had returned. She felt as though she were starting to wake up. Back to normal. But instead of prodding her on, he was still watching her.

Not another word spoken.

As a reflex, she covered the tear in her shirt near her chest with an arm.

Having been the only woman on the G-5 ship for months at a time, it was a look she was accustomed to seeing. But rarely from him. She'd glimpsed it once or twice in the past, but it passed by so quickly she thought she'd imagined it. But she also noticed something unusual in his expression that she couldn't quite explain. Something fragile. He had told her that there was more than one reason why he chose her to inherit the _Wado Ichimonji_. Maybe that was one of them.

He'd seen her reaction and nodded slightly. Like he understood something. He was about to get up, but she reached out and stopped him.

* * *

"FIRE FIST!"

Punches, shouts, and metallic clangs echoed throughout the forest even as the sun descended. As the sky grew darker, the brothers moved the fight away from the treehouse. Luffy and Sabo's job was to "defend the base." It was supposed to be a game, but Sabo didn't see it that way.

Ace and Luffy were Sabo's only real attachments to Dawn Island. Without Luffy, Sabo would not have come back at all. His parents thought him dead, and he considered them the same. Despite this, his desire to return was sparked by a conversation with his younger brother not too long ago.

 _"_ _You replaced me with a rock?" Sabo asked._

 _"_ _No, the rock said things like you did." Sabo was lost, but that didn't stop Luffy, "Whenever Ace said I was weak, Rock-Sabo told me I got stronger. Ace wasn't so nice then. I told him to be more like you and he got really mad." Luffy laughed. "He was weird sometimes."_

 _As he listened to more of Luffy's stories about fighting bears and anacondas, Sabo could not help but wish he could have truly been a part of those memories. Instead of being a rock. He and Luffy agreed to visit the old treehouse again, but on one condition._

 _"_ _Try not to let too many people know I'm going there, alright?"_

 _"_ _Okay!" Luffy never needed explanations if something was important. It was one of the things Sabo appreciated most about him._

The revolutionary had to be careful with his fire powers. Any wrong move and the forest could catch flame. Sabo was not too worried; he was skilled with controlling his Devil Fruit powers by now. He did not even need to rely on them. In fact, he had a slight advantage since he could generate light at will while the others could not.

He caught Fujitora's blade with a Haki-hardened hand and pushed it aside. Sabo's wish to relive old memories was being fulfilled, but the adventure was on a much grander scale than anticipated.

With the moon's light, he could see Luffy and Smoker race towards each other and simultaneously exchange a blow to the stomach.

* * *

 **Author's Note:** Since I only watch the anime version of the show, it's possible that there are some things in the manga that may throw part of this story off.

But please don't tell me spoilers xD. If future episodes reveal that I got Sabo or anyone else wrong I will definitely try to fix it :)

If you see an inconsistency with the story and past episodes, please let me know.

Thanks to everyone for reading!


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's Note** : I probably will check out the manga one of these days...

To ThaliaSanchez- When they showed an island with a house inside of Laboon, I figured anything was fair game lol.

Thanks to everyone for reading!

* * *

Franky departed from the Sunny. "I won't come back without him!" He vowed with a pose.

It was the middle of the night, and most of the island residents were asleep. Asking people if they'd seen Zoro was out of the question, then. Since the swordsman was always getting lost, the group brainstormed for years for a way to track him. Even if they gave him a transponder snail, he could never find them or describe his location well enough for them to get him. Chopper was usually their best bet for locating him, but at the moment the reindeer was exhausted.

Zoro had always left things like this to "luck." Franky saw some merit to that, but it was nothing to rely on. He started running.

Water 7 had not been in as great shape as he had hoped. The city had downsized tremendously. Between Aqua Laguna and the sinking land, there was little space left for housing. Many citizens had moved away via the upgraded Puffing Tom. Franky and Stupid-Burg had tried to come up with ideas over the years to preserve the land, but few seemed to hold water, in a manner of speaking. They had tried to perfect underwater construction so that buildings could last both above and below the ocean. People would enter the buildings from the top and have a spectacular undersea view underneath. A decent number of these structures had been erected with the assistance of the Galley-La Company and the Franky Family.

When he saw his brothers and sisters again, Franky did not even try to hold back the tears. He could not imagine how he had gathered the willpower to leave them in the first place. Ahh…that's right. The Straw Hats had him by the balls at the time. True to her epithet, Nico Robin could be a terrifying woman when she wanted to be.

Franky's enhanced hearing picked up faint voices that were almost out of his range: a man and a woman. It sounded like people he knew. He headed towards a meadow.

When he spotted Zoro, saying Franky was shocked was an understatement.

…Maybe he should come back later.

Franky's vision was more advanced than human perception. He could see Zoro before the swordsman could identify him, even with Haki. It was harder to tell who the girl was. But when they sensed that someone else was near, the two on the ground scrambled off of one another and grabbed one sword each. Instead of pointing the weapons at the intruder, they directed them towards each other. That was odd. Franky started to approach them. Zoro then recognized Franky and relaxed, sheathing his sword.

Despite the situation, the first thing Zoro asked was, "Where's the rest of them? Did the navy catch anyone besides that idiot cook?"

Franky was still processing what he had seen. He now identified the woman as the marine girl that was always with the Smoke guy. She was readjusting her torn shirt and had a cloth tied around her arm. The cloth had the same pattern as Zoro's shirt on the floor. The swordsman's arm had been bleeding too. Upon closer inspection, Franky could have sworn that their injuries were in the same places. This must be the weird sort of thing swordfighters were into. Evidently, Franky wasn't the only pervert on their ship.

"Uhh…no, everyone is safe for now. I've got the Sunny and most of us are here. But if she…" Franky pointed at Tashigi, "…is with you, then that Smoke guy is probably after Luffy and his brother."

"Brother?" The marine asked. She must have connected the dots, because she sprinted off before the two Straw Hats could even blink.

Franky watched her fade into the distance and turned back to his friend with a laugh. "So _that's_ how you've been spending your vacation. We were worried about you, you know."

"Shut up! I was gonna look for you guys." Zoro picked up the swords and his shirt.

"Nah, it's better that you didn't. I don't know how we'd find you if you sailed off." The two walked together towards the Sunny.

* * *

The metal door swung open with a clang.

"Someone might have heard that." Robin said and searched for the keys to Sanji's restraints, carefully making sure that she didn't touch the cuffs themselves. He stretched his limbs beyond the bars to make it easier for her. They heard footsteps approaching, but Robin had not yet released Sanji's hands.

"It's alright, Robin-chan, I'll handle it from here." He kicked a large hole into the side of the ship, and the starry sky was in full view. They were lucky that the cell had not been below the water. Resisting her natural impulses, she forced herself behind the bars. Sanji took the keys and leapt first, but she hesitated, watching the navy charge into the room. Every step was draining. One marine nearly grabbed her hand, but she slipped from his grasp.

And winked.

Closing her eyes, she let herself freefall backwards into the night. Sanji, who had been hovering outside with his Sky Walk, caught her, and the two plunged into the ocean.

 _She was standing on the edge of a building facing the world once more. But this time, she was not begging Luffy to take her away; she was confronting the world with what it needed to hear. But what if they didn't believe her? She needed courage, and she had her friends for that. But the words of criminals would do little to sway those in power. A wall formed in her throat and sealed her words._

 _As though reading her mind, an older man placed a hand on her shoulder that was unexpectedly warm, "Even if some don't listen, there will be some who will. And if anyone tries to stop you, I'll be right here."_

 _And so Robin spoke. She described her research over the years and the corrupt secrets that the World Government tried to hide regarding the lost history. She still did not know everything, but she had enough proof to make some knowledge public._

 _"_ _I am not the only one who has done research on this history," she continued, "there were others…who…." The wall started forming again, and her chest heaved. She did not know if she was crying or struggling to breathe._

 _"_ _There was an island of archaeologists called Ohara." Kuzan stepped in. "I had been stationed there and witnessed the destruction myself." He nodded to Robin, and she allowed him to take the floor as she collected herself._

 _She brushed her tears aside and took several deep breaths._

 _"_ _Thank you." She whispered to him before addressing the audience once more._

"Robin-chan!" She opened her eyes. The tears from her dream were still on her face, and Sanji's voice was shaken.

"Sanji?" The two were floating on her speedboat and the navy ship was nowhere to be seen. His hands were free as well. "How long…?"

"Don't worry about it." He offered her some fresh water and she noticed she was underneath a blanket. "Your prince is here to protect you now." That reminded her. She reached into a pouch that she'd left in the boat and retrieved a pack of cigarettes and a lighter. She handed it over to the chef.

"You even got this for me! You really do love me Robin-chwaan!" He wiggled with glee, and she giggled softly. After the vacation he'd had, she knew he would probably need it.

He lit one cigarette, dragged, and exhaled.

"I'm sorry that you had to come save me. You could have been in real danger. And I know how much you hate the navy." He cursed himself, but she shook her head. Sanji had his weaknesses, just like everyone else. If she couldn't compensate for her teammates' shortcomings and let them get hurt because of it, she'd never forgive herself.

"It's alright." She placed a hand on his shoulder to comfort him. "And the navy isn't always so terrible."

Aokiji had told her that working outside the law helped him gather intel, but they would also need people inside the system to get things done. Their speech had been a call to action. Aokiji seemed confident that it could happen. She sipped some water and noted that the sun was rising on the horizon.

If there were other marines (even former admirals) who were willing to stand by a criminal's side when necessary, then that gave her some faith. Maybe some of the changes that she hoped to see in the World Government could come about in her lifetime.

* * *

Smoker had called in an old favor.

Though Straw Hat was supposed to be the only one on Dawn Island, Smoker's gut told him to prepare for the worst. His instincts about the would-be-pirate-king were rarely wrong, so he contacted an old acquaintance.

 _"_ _You'll forgive my gambling debt then, White Chase-san?" A deep, graveled spoke from the snail._

 _"_ _Yeah."_

Frankly, Smoker had been expecting Garp to interfere. The revolutionary kid was a surprise.

When he came to, he noticed that the blind swordsman was also awake and propped against the tree beside him. They were shaded from the morning sun. Smoker could not move his arms well, and his legs were killing him. His jacket was torn and bloodied. Smoker rested his back against the tree and stared upwards into the treehouse. He heard a woman calling out to him.

Perfect timing.

"This whole place is demolished! It must have been some fight." Without even moving his head, he knew it was Tashigi. She had a knack for stating the obvious.

Smoker watched her lead a crowd of marines. Upon seeing him and Fujitora, she ordered some of the doctors in the group to look at their wounds. She rushed to his side. "Smoker-san! How bad are your injuries? Should I get some of the men to help carry you out?"

"No, dammit." He lifted an arm and she shouldered it. The two stumbled together over fallen logs and broken chunks of meteorite. After a bit of walking, they finally reached the edge of the crater. Other marines helped Fujitora get to his feet.

"You were pretty easy to find." She said, "That tree is the only thing standing in this entire area."

He grunted in response and thought back to Fujitora's question when they first landed on Dawn Island.

 _"_ _Do you truly believe that young man will become as renowned as Gol D. Roger?"_

 _"_ _I think he'll do better."_


	13. Chapter 13

_There was a time where she'd been a bit naive. Where she had been reluctant to suspect her superiors of wrongdoing even when the evidence pointed in that direction. She'd learned since then to trust her instincts._

 _Tashigi thought of Coby. The boy was always so earnest, and he loved his job. Wanting transparency, he had confessed to the navy his two year association with the pirate Alvida, right-hand woman of the infamous Buggy the Clown. Tashigi was present at his hearing and vouched for his character. She feared that the worst would happen until the war hero Garp stepped in and took complete responsibility for Coby's recruitment. Garp had taken an early retirement after that._

 _The old man left the headquarters laughing but she still questioned whether or not his departure was voluntary. He was the father and grandfather of two high profile criminals. Three if one counted Fire Fist Ace. Perhaps that trial was the final straw. Some superiors still kept a wary eye on Coby to this day. In response to the suspicion towards Garp and himself, Coby hated "absolute justice" more than any other marine she knew._

 _Smoker would fight for her rights in a heartbeat too. And that was the issue. She could never allow him to sacrifice himself in any way for her decisions._

 _He'd also be disappointed in her._

Tashigi repositioned the ice pack on Smoker's head.

 _"_ _A pirate is a pirate." That was Smoker's mantra. It was the reason he never trusted the Seven Warlords._

 _But her gut feeling told her otherwise._

"What is it now?" Smoker responded to Tashigi's pensive aura. He lay on the couch in his office, and she was sitting in another chair beside him. The room lacked its usual smog. His cigars lay unlit on his desk. The doctor that advised him to refrain from smoking during his recovery was nearly tossed off the ship, but Tashigi was harder to intimidate.

As a passing observation Smoker noticed her hair. When her hair started growing longer, Tashigi usually kept it back. But now it was hiding her face, and she kept touching her mouth.

"Oh! I didn't know you were awake."

Shafts of midmorning light streamed from the open porthole window. They could hear the Loguetown festival-goers preparing for that evening. It was the anniversary of the town's founding. The sunlight and pounding of hammers made Smoker's head throb, so he rested his eyes once more and covered them with an arm. He could hear her pacing over to the window and shutting it tight. The sounds were muffled now.

Tashigi walked back to her chair and took a seat. She spoke softly, "I was unable to catch him."

His eyelids flickered. Shifting slightly on the couch, he closed them again. "I didn't get Straw Hat either."

There was a slight pause, but Smoker waited for her to continue. His first sign that this conversation was coming was her shoulder. He had felt the bandage while leaning on her at Dawn Island. Tashigi had told him simply that she had gotten cut in the fight. He decided that if she wished to discuss it, she would just tell him straight. He was exhausted anyway.

"I still don't know if I trust the World Government. Because of that I…" She clutched the standard navy jacket lying on her lap, "didn't want to arrest him."

He spoke with his eyes still closed. "I thought that might be the problem."

Tashigi released her jacket. "You knew? But then, why did you assign me to him?"

"Because you're one of my best fighters." He saw her cringe and cast her head down once more. His subordinate had such a terrible poker face, though he had no idea why she looked so guilty. Smoker thought he heard her mumble an apology for misjudging him or something.

"You're also a grown woman." He sat up slowly. "If you were that biased, you should have said so in the first place."

"I didn't realize I was that… biased at the time, sir. I think I wanted to prove to myself that I could still be objective."

Tashigi still hadn't looked at him fully since they started talking. Something else was still troubling her. Glancing at her side, he said,

"That isn't your sword. Where is it?"

She bit her lip before responding. "I lost it."

* * *

"But weren't you going to leave her that sword anyway?" Franky asked after a swig of cola.

"Not yet, dammit, I still need it!"

"Zoro! Stop moving!" Chopper pleaded.

The crew had finally reassembled. They had just gone back to pick up Luffy and were on their way into the Grand Line. On the grassy deck, Chopper was changing the bandages on Zoro's arm and side. The crew had promised to get him to Loguetown to recover the _Wado Ichimonji_ before heading out. Zoro glanced over at Luffy, who was chuckling alongside Robin and Usopp. They were all still exchanging vacation stories.

The gashes and bruises on Luffy's skin were hidden beneath bandages of his own. When the Straw Hats found him, Luffy had barely been able to stand. Robin and the moron cook had also been waiting on Dawn Island with the captain. Koala told them that Sabo had to carry Luffy out of the forest after their battle with the navy. Sabo's condition hadn't been great either.

Lately, Zoro had gotten into the habit of thinking about life beyond his current ambitions. The habit had started once he had gotten his title. But after seeing Luffy's shape on Dawn Island, he made a decision. Until the Straw Hat captain became the pirate king, the swordsman would focus on nothing else but getting him there. His hand moved to _Shigure._

"You know, Zorrro, this whole sword thing sounds like you're beating around the bush." Franky continued, "A real man would show the world how he feels."

"That'll get her killed." Zoro said, staring at the weapon. Was Luffy really the only thing stopping him?

Society's rules and all that crap usually didn't mean a thing to Zoro. But his neck wasn't the one on the line here. If getting closer to her was going to endanger her (or make her lose her job, at the very least), then he'd leave her be. It'd be even worse if they tried to use her to get to him or something. Zoro knew that from the beginning and still let himself slip.

Truthfully, he thought Tashigi would turn him down after their fight. At that moment it was something he felt she needed to remind him.

Wanting him not to die was one thing, but choosing to risk her reputation for him was another. That was no impulsive decision. Zoro handed Chopper the letter when the doctor had finished. Thanking him, Chopper scampered off to read it.

"Woah, what's going on there? It looks like a party!" Luffy pointed at the streamers and balloons released in Loguetown. "Let's go!"

"Haven't you had enough of that Smoker guy already?" Usopp whined.


	14. Chapter 14- Final

**Author's Note** :

 _ **10/16/15: The story is still being revised...this chapter and previous ones will change a bit over the next few weeks.**_

I pretty much started this story because I like Tashigi's character, even with her flaws. She has some great qualities that may sometimes get overlooked. I think she has a lot of potential and hope to see her mature a bit more.

It seemed to me like she wasn't very popular in the fandom, though, which is why I'm thankful to you for taking the time to read this. :)

If you have any questions, comments, suggestions, or anything like that feel free to review or PM me. I may revise the story if you see something that isn't right/is missing/is too much lol.

The reviews and messages actually helped motivate me to keep writing, so thanks for that too!

* * *

Tashigi wandered through the empty halls of the museum floor once more. The building was closed for the holiday.

This place often set her mind at ease. She felt she needed to be reminded of her conviction. Without _Shigure_ she felt even more misplaced; she'd grabbed this sword and run off in haste. By the time she realized her mistake, the navy ship had already departed. She unstrapped _Wado Ichimonji_ from her side and kept it in her hand.

She waved it around, testing the feel of it. Handling it was not difficult at all, but she'd rather not get used to it. It seemed that most of her troubles had started with this blade.

When she turned down the hallway she noticed a row of unconscious snails along the floor. She smiled to herself before shaking her head. Naturally the one causing her confusion was here again. The marine wondered how he kept finding her. Normally she was the one tracking him.

A figure was leaning against the confiscated swords. Had it not been for the snails, she might not have recognized him right away. He was wearing a loose costume-like robe with a hat and mask. He must have purchased them at the festival. The mask was a ridiculous one, she quickly realized. It even had a scar over one of its eyes. She was about to go a few steps closer, but stopped herself.

"Are you here for a rematch?" She asked, half joking.

"You couldn't cut me even if you wanted to." He replied, removing the mask. The last few words caught her off guard. So he'd noticed that too.

Tashigi knew why Zoro was there. It was probably the only reason why he was there. She held up the _Wado Ichimonji_. But before handing it over to him, she swallowed. She spoke to the wall beside him instead of facing him directly.

"Koshiro-san was the one who left you this sword, wasn't he?" She took a deep breath. "Did you just want to give it to me because I reminded you of his daughter?"

"Are you jealous?" Zoro asked incredulously.

"I'm just curious!"

He stared at her for a moment, and her grip tightened. If he started laughing, she doubted she'd be able to stop herself from trying to skewer him with the damned sword.

"You remind me of more than one person, copycat woman." He said finally, raising _Shigure_. "And you of all people should know why swords get passed on."

Swords were often passed down either from a teacher, from someone with a common goal, from a loved one, or from someone who'd lost a duel. If there were other reasons, she could not think of any. She was also sure he wouldn't tell them to her even if she asked.

He stood up from the glass wall and they tossed the sheathed swords at the same time. She managed to catch hers without dropping it or falling. She did trip a little, though.

They were quiet for a moment. He was securing _Wado Ichimonji_ to his side. Tashigi tried again to take a step closer but stopped when she observed the X-shaped scar on his chest.

The cuts she had given him on his stomach had already healed, but Mihawk's mark was deep. The scar was also similar to that of Straw Hat Luffy. Tashigi removed her glasses and placed them back on top of her head. This man was no more likely to give up on being a pirate than she was on being a marine. There were still things she hoped to accomplish, after all. Nothing she felt could change that. She was sort of glad Zoro knew the truth, though. She thought she'd regret it if he didn't. And regardless of any circumstances, her decision was firm:

Even if Smoker ordered her to, she would no longer fight the swordsman.

"If you're going to the festival, just… don't get caught." She said, turning back.

"They told me to bring you too." He said, scratching his head.

"Who did?"

"Who do you think?" He almost seemed flustered. She was glad the room was red enough to hide her own face. Apparently there were no secrets among the Straw Hats.

* * *

" _I don't want to conquer anything. It's just that the person with the most freedom on the sea is the Pirate King."_

That was the reason why Luffy wanted the One Piece. There was no doubt that the Straw Hat captain would share this freedom with his friends too. It reminded Zoro of Rayleigh. Maybe having had the One Piece enabled Gol D. Roger's crew to move on with their lives when they were done with pirating without the marines on their cases. Or maybe they had gotten so strong that the navy decided it wasn't worth the effort to pursue them. But whatever the case, Tashigi was _in_ the navy. The freedom that the Straw Hats were striving for might not be enough.

The relationships he formed, whether friend or otherwise, were things that Zoro never took lightly. Tashigi was no exception. He was sure it was safer for her if he just left her alone.

But with his decision to become a pirate and serve under a captain, Zoro had surrendered a bit of his freedom. That didn't bother him as long as he was free to chase his goal. But this fact became painfully clear about an hour ago. Something told him that Luffy knew how his friend would act in this situation and issued his "orders" accordingly. The rest of the crew chiming in didn't help either. Why they were so excited about this was beyond him.

Franky really did have a big mouth sometimes. The love-cook was probably still off sulking somewhere.

" _If you don't want her to get in trouble, don't let her get in trouble." The captain had said with his head cocked to the side. As if he didn't understand why there was even an issue. Zoro almost throttled him before realizing that he was right._

Giving up on what he wanted felt contrary to Zoro's nature.

So his job now was to dive in and deal with the consequences as they arose. That was how the Straw Hats always did things. Besides, it was just for a day. It wasn't like he was whisking her off to marry her or something. But if she didn't want to go with him, then Luffy or not, Zoro wouldn't make her go.

...Which brought him back to the present.

Tashigi was staring at him as though a unicorn or something had materialized in front of her. This was the second time someone had looked at him like that within the last few days.

"T-That'd be a date. _You're_ asking me on a date." Apparently her mind was still reeling.

" _That's_ your problem?! And don't say it like that!" This was far beyond his comfort zone. Those idiots had better be happy. "So are you coming or not?"

As luck would have it, she was just as reckless as he was.


End file.
